Vale Tony Mundine, the champion who inspired generations

For those who knew him, Tony was more than a champion in the ring.

He was a man who opened doors for others, shared his knowledge freely and understood the importance of lifting up the next generation.

I remember one such moment from back in 2000.

On the eve of his Olympic debut, Aboriginal boxer Henry Collins was feeling underprepared for the biggest fight of his life.

Born in Eidsvold, Queensland, Collins was about to step into the ring against the then US champion, Ricardo Williams, in his opening bout of the Olympic Games.

Looking for some extra help, Collins reached out to Glen Brennan, who at the time was head of the Indigenous Sport Program at the Australian Sports Commission in Canberra.

Glen made a call to Aboriginal boxing great Tony Mundine and asked if he could arrange a training session for Henry at his Elouera Gym in Redfern.

Tony’s response was simple: “Absolutely. See you tomorrow.”

The next morning, Tony opened the gym for Collins.

He hadn’t arranged for anyone else to train with Henry. Tony did it himself.

He put the young boxer through his paces, running him through a series of drills and sparring exercises.

What 'Brenno' and Tony didn’t know was that Collins had snuck out of the Olympic camp to get the extra training.

But for those few hours, the Elouera Gym became Collins’ Olympic training camp.

Tony also took the opportunity to remind the young boxer of the enormous significance of what he was about to do – representing Australia but also representing his people on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

Word quickly spread through the Redfern community that an Aboriginal Olympian was training at Elouera. Before long, locals began making their way down to the gym to watch one of Australia’s great medal hopes in action.

Among those watching was former champion Aboriginal jockey Darby McCarthy.

It was one of those wonderful moments where sport, community and culture came together.

And it said so much about Tony Mundine.

He didn’t need to be asked twice. He simply opened the doors, rolled up his sleeves and helped another young Aboriginal athlete prepare to represent his country – and his people – on the world stage.

That was Tony.

He was generous with his time, generous with his knowledge and, most importantly, generous with his belief in others.

For so many young Indigenous athletes, Tony was the kind of man who opened a door, offered a hand and said: ‘Come on in.’

He carried the toughness of a fighter, but also the warmth and generosity of a man who understood the importance of community.

He was a champion boxer, a proud Aboriginal man and a generous mentor who never forgot where he came from.

Vale Anthony William Mundine OAM, 10 June 1951 – 30 August 2026.